October 13–15, 2026, the priests and sisters of the Prado in Vietnam gathered at the Training Center of the Diocese of Phú Cường (Vietnam) to celebrate together the Year of Antoine Chevrier (the bicentennial of his birth) and the 40th anniversary of his beatification. Three days of fellowship and sharing to deepen their attachment to the founder of the Prado and to keep his spiritual legacy alive.

Exploring the Prado's Charism Together 

Sixteen priests and five sisters from the Prado in Vietnam gathered for two days to participate in a spiritual retreat, deepen their understanding of the history of the Prado’s founding, and rediscover the riches of its spirituality. They also shared their personal and communal experiences in living out the Prado charism.

The figure of Father Antoine Chevrier was presented to them in a new light through two themes for reflection: « Poverty is the priest's strength » and « The spirituality of the Prado is a synodal spirituality within a synodal Church«. These teachings were reflected upon in the light of God’s Word, in an atmosphere of prayer and communal discernment, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”.

Passing on the charism to younger generations 

The priests and sisters also presented the history of the founding of the Prado Priests’ Association and the Prado Sisters’ Society to the seminarians in the preparatory year at the Phú Cường Diocesan Seminary.

This gathering helped them gain a deeper understanding of how their own Prado vocation fits into the history and continuity of the Prado charism, in service to the Church and the poorest of the poor.

News of the celebrations for the Year of Antoine Chevrier in Lyon, shared by two Vietnamese Prado priests, Gregorio and Alphonso, who are continuing their formation there, also contributed to their reflections. This allowed them to feel more connected to the life of the international Prado community and to all those around the world who are celebrating the bicentennial of Father Chevrier’s birth.

Following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, in the spirit of Father Chevrier

At the end of these days, the participants give thanks to God for the charism of the Prado, given to the Church and to each of them.

« Let us move forward together in the footsteps of our Master, Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, enlightened by the witness of Father Chevrier, and accompanied by our brother priests and our sisters of the Prado, so that we may reach out to the poor and place ourselves at their service.« 

An invitation to continue on this journey together, remaining faithful to Father Antoine Chevrier’s founding vision: to follow the poor Jesus and to allow ourselves to be evangelized by the poorest among us.

As we celebrate together the anniversary of Antoine Chevrier’s beatification by Pope John Paul II on October 4, 1986, the members of the Prado of Vietnam reflect on the witness of Blessed Antoine Chevrier and his call to live according to the Gospel, in simplicity and in close solidarity with the poorest among us. This fraternal gathering serves as a reminder that the founder’s vision continues to bring people together, nourish the faith, and support the mission of the Prado Family throughout the world.